{"id":25,"date":"2017-07-20T16:27:35","date_gmt":"2017-07-20T16:27:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-geneseo-styleguide2\/chapter\/why-is-grammar-important\/"},"modified":"2017-07-20T16:27:35","modified_gmt":"2017-07-20T16:27:35","slug":"why-is-grammar-important","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-geneseo-styleguide2\/chapter\/why-is-grammar-important\/","title":{"raw":"Why Is Grammar Important?","rendered":"Why Is Grammar Important?"},"content":{"raw":"

\"two<\/h2>\nTake a moment and try to imagine a world without language: written, signed, or spoken. It\u2019s pretty hard to conceptualize, right? Language is a constant presence all around us. It\u2019s how we communicate with others; without language it would be incredibly difficult to connect people.\n\nMany people are self-conscious of their speech and worry that the way they talk is incorrect: this simply isn't true. There are several different types of English\u2014all of which are equally\u00a0dynamic and complex. However, each variety is\u00a0appropriate in\u00a0different situations. When you\u2019re talking to your friends, you should use\u00a0slang\u00a0and cultural references\u2014if you speak in formal language, you can easily come off as uptight or rude. If you\u2019re\u00a0sending a quick casual message\u2014via social media or texting\u2014you don\u2019t need to worry too much about capitalization or strict punctuation. Feel free to have five exclamation points standing alone, if that gets your point across.\n\n\"iconHowever, there\u2019s this thing called Standard American English. This type of English exists the sake of communication across cultural lines, where standardized rules and conventions are necessary. How many times have you heard people of older generations ask just what smh<\/em>\u00a0or rn<\/em>\u00a0mean? This is where grammar comes in. Grammar is a set of rules and conventions that dictate how Standard American English works. These rules are simply\u00a0tools that speakers of a language can use. When you learn how to use the language, you can craft your message to communicate exactly what you want to convey.\n\nAdditionally,\u00a0when you speak or write with poor grammar, others will often make judgements about who you are as a person. As Williams and Colomb say, \u201cFollow all the rules all the time because sometime, someone will criticize you for something.\u201d[footnote]Williams, Joseph M. and Gregory G. Colomb. Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace<\/em>. 3rd ed. Boston: Longman. 2012, p. 14.[\/footnote]\n

Code Switching<\/h2>\nCode switching<\/em> is the ability to use\u00a0two different varieties (or dialects) of the same language. Most people\u00a0do this instinctively. If you were writing a paper, you might say something like \u201cThe experiment\u00a0requires not one but four different procedures\u201d in order to\u00a0emphasize number. In an informal online setting, on the other hand, you might say something like \u201cI saw two (2) buses drive past.\u201d\n\nThe most important facet of code switching is knowing when to use which variety.\u00a0In formal academic writing, standardized English is the correct variety to use. As you go through this module, remember that these are the rules for just one type of English.","rendered":"

\"two<\/h2>\n

Take a moment and try to imagine a world without language: written, signed, or spoken. It\u2019s pretty hard to conceptualize, right? Language is a constant presence all around us. It\u2019s how we communicate with others; without language it would be incredibly difficult to connect people.<\/p>\n

Many people are self-conscious of their speech and worry that the way they talk is incorrect: this simply isn’t true. There are several different types of English\u2014all of which are equally\u00a0dynamic and complex. However, each variety is\u00a0appropriate in\u00a0different situations. When you\u2019re talking to your friends, you should use\u00a0slang\u00a0and cultural references\u2014if you speak in formal language, you can easily come off as uptight or rude. If you\u2019re\u00a0sending a quick casual message\u2014via social media or texting\u2014you don\u2019t need to worry too much about capitalization or strict punctuation. Feel free to have five exclamation points standing alone, if that gets your point across.<\/p>\n

\"iconHowever, there\u2019s this thing called Standard American English. This type of English exists the sake of communication across cultural lines, where standardized rules and conventions are necessary. How many times have you heard people of older generations ask just what smh<\/em>\u00a0or rn<\/em>\u00a0mean? This is where grammar comes in. Grammar is a set of rules and conventions that dictate how Standard American English works. These rules are simply\u00a0tools that speakers of a language can use. When you learn how to use the language, you can craft your message to communicate exactly what you want to convey.<\/p>\n

Additionally,\u00a0when you speak or write with poor grammar, others will often make judgements about who you are as a person. As Williams and Colomb say, \u201cFollow all the rules all the time because sometime, someone will criticize you for something.\u201d[1]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

Code Switching<\/h2>\n

Code switching<\/em> is the ability to use\u00a0two different varieties (or dialects) of the same language. Most people\u00a0do this instinctively. If you were writing a paper, you might say something like \u201cThe experiment\u00a0requires not one but four different procedures\u201d in order to\u00a0emphasize number. In an informal online setting, on the other hand, you might say something like \u201cI saw two (2) buses drive past.\u201d<\/p>\n

The most important facet of code switching is knowing when to use which variety.\u00a0In formal academic writing, standardized English is the correct variety to use. As you go through this module, remember that these are the rules for just one type of English.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t

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Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t
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CC licensed content, Original<\/div>